Low bed trailer for heavy equipment

ABSTRACT

A low bed trailer for hauling heavy equipment having a horizontally disposed bed positioned at a substantially lower level than that of the rear loading platform and the gooseneck between which the bed is mounted; the bed having equipment supporting deck means pivoted at one end to the forward end portion of the deck and power operated lift means for raising the other end of the deck to the level of the rear loading platform whereby equipment may be rolled from the rear loading platform onto the equipment supporting deck; then the latter is pivoted downwardly to its horizontal and lowermost position to provide the equipment with a minimum overhead clearance and the combined trailer and equipment with the center of gravity thereof at absolute minimum of height above the ground for safe hauling.

States Moretti, ,1 r.

[ 1 Dec. 18, 1973 Joseph G. Moretti, .lr., 2455 NW. 6th St., Miami, Fla.33127 [22] Filed: Dec. 11, 11972 [21] Appl. No.: 314,235

[76] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-Albert J. Makay AttorneySalvatore G. Militana 5 7ABSTRACT A low bed trailer for hauling heavy equipment having ahorizontally disposed bed positioned at a substantially lower level thanthat of the rear loading platform and the gooseneck between which thebed is mounted; the bed having equipment supporting deck means pivotedat one end to the forward end portion of the deck and power operatedlift means for raising the other end of the deck to the level of therear loading platform whereby equipment may be rolled from the rearloading platform onto the equipment supporting deck; then the latter ispivoted downwardly to its horizontal and lowermost position to providethe equipment with a minimum overhead clearance and the combined trailerand equipment with the center of gravity thereof at absolute minimum ofheight above the ground for safe hauling.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures LOW BED TRAILER FOR HEAVY EQUIPMENTBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field Of The Invention This inventionrelates to trailers and is more particularly directed to low bedtrailers for carrying heavy equipment.

2. Description of The Prior Art Trailers for hauling large, heavy andtall equipment must have a bed for supporting the equipment positionedas low as possible above the ground and must use as large a combinedwheel and tire as possible. Large wheels and tires permit the carryingof extremely heavy loads, such as farming and construction equipment andprovides a greater braking power than small wheels and tires. However,the disadvantages resulting from the use of large Wheels and tires arethat the center of gravity of the equipment becomes too high above theground so that the equipment when being carried at fairly high speeds onthe highway, there is a danger of tipping or overturning the trailer.Also, there is a legal limit to the height of trailers and equipmentbeing carried that compels the bed carrying equipment to be as close tothe ground as possible.

At the present time, there are two types of low bed trailers using largewheels and tires; one type has a means for disconnecting the gooseneckfrom the trailer bed, lowering the freed end of the trailer bed to theground and then roll the equipment on or off the trailer bed. This lowbed trailer is complicated in construction and consequently veryexpensive in cost. Also, the time consumed in loading and unloadingequipment is considerable since the trailer has to be disconnected ortaken apart and then the load carrying portion must be lowered andraised and reconnected together again.

The second type of low bed trailers using large wheels and tiresprovides a ramp between the rear platform or deck above the wheels andthe trailer bed to permit the equipment to be rolled from the rearplatform to the trailer bed. This, of course, results in a trailer thatis long and is not only cumbersome but dangerous to handle when on thehighway.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention contemplates avoiding thedisadvantages of the conventional low bed trailers for heavy equipmentwhile still utilizing large wheels and tires without having acomplicated and expensive trailer or having to lengthen the trailer.

Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide alow bed trailer for heavy and large equipment that is simple andrelatively inexpensive in cost and one which requires no greater loadingand unloading time requirement.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a low bed trailerusing large wheels and tires whose center of gravity is relatively lowand which provides a minimum of overhead clearance for the equipmentbeing carried by the trailer.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a trailer whosebed for carrying equipment is normally at a lower level than thegooseneck and the rear loading platform and pivoted at one end to permitthe other end to be raised to the level of the rear platform so thatequipment may be rolled directly from the rear platform to the bed andthen lowered to its normal horizontal position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, with the understanding, however, that the inventionis not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of thedrawings mut may be changed or moditied so long as such changes ormodifications mark no material departure from the salient features ofthe invention as expressed in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. l is a side elevational view of a low bed trailer for heavyequipment constructed in accordance with my invention and shown with apiece of equipment in dotted lines.

FIG. 2 is a similar view with the bed elevated for moving the equipmenttherealong.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional views taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4l-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing whereinlike numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the severalviews, the numeral It) refers to a low bed trailer for carrying heavyequipment shown connected to a trailer truck 11 shown only in part,since the truck 11 forms no part of the present invention. The low bedtrailer 10 consists of the conventional tongue 12 which is pivotallyconnected to the fifth wheel 13 mounted on the trailer tractor ill. Thetongue 12 which is elevated is connected to intermediate frame portion114 extends downwardly to a low bed frame -B- that is horizontallydisposed and positioned close to the pavement or road upon which thelarge wheels 15 and 16 of the tractor and trailer respectively.

At the rear end portion of the low bed trailer is a conventional loadingramp I7 hinged as at 18 to an inclined portion 19 of the rear platform20 which extends horizontally at the same height as the trailer wheels16 above the road bed. The forward end portion of the rear platform 20is connected to the low bed B- by diagonally extending frame members 21.

The bed frame B is comprised of the usual fixed longitudinal beams 22that extend the length of the low bed --B-- secured at the ends to theintermediate frame 141 and inclined rear members 21. The fixed beams 22support a pivoted load supporting platform -P- at the forward endportion of longitudinal beams 23 as at pivot pins 24. Mounted on thepivoted beams 23 are cross frame members 25 which support a wood decking26.

The pivoted platform or bed P is raised or lowered at its rear portionby a pair of conventional hydraulic cylinders 27 supported on a platform28 with piston rods 29 extending upwardly and pivotally connected as at31 to brackets 30 secured to the lower surface of one of the cross framemembers 25. The base portion of the cylinders 27 are connected togetherby a pipe 32 having a fitting 33 for connecting the latter to a pipe 34that extends to a source of fluid under pressure (not shown).

From the above description of my low bed trailer taken in connectionwith the drawings, when it is desired to haul a piece of equipment suchas a power shovel 36, the loading ramp 17 is pivoted on its hinge 18 toits lowered position as shown by FIG. 2. Then its hydraulic system (notshown) is actuated to direct fluid under pressure through pipes 34, 32and into the hydraulic cylinders 27 to cause the piston rods 29 to slideupwardly and the platform 26 to pivot about its pivot pins 24 until therear portion of the platform 26 arrives at the level of the rearplatform 20 as shown by FIG. 2. Now the power shovel 36 is rolled up theramp 17 along the rear platform 20 and down the low bed platform 26until the entire power shovel 36 rests on the platform 26 and is clearof the intermediate frame 14 and the forward edge portion of the rearplatform 20. Now the fluid pressure in the hydraulic cylinders 27 isreleased and the pivoted platform 28 is pivoted downwardly until thelatter comes to rest on the frame members 22 when the platform P willhave assumed the horizontal position as shown by FIG. 1. The trailer 10along with its cargo 36 is ready to be hauled away by the tractor 11,the power shovel 36 having reduced its overall height above the groundto a minimum by its being carried on the low bed B-- of my trailer 10.It is to be noted that by virtue of the particular construction of mylow bed trailer 10, the tires and wheels and 16 may be as large asdesred in conformity with the load to be carried and the bed B-- may bepositioned at any level above the ground without affecting the loadingand unloading capabilities of my low bed trailer 10.

Having disclosed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A low bed trailer for hauling heavy equipment having a tongue portionfor connecting to a tractor, a rear platform portion and a substantiallyhorizontally disposed bed portion mounted between said tongue portionand said rear platform portion, said bed portion being positioned at alower level than said tongue portion and said rear platform portion,said bed portion comprising substantially elongated support memberssecured at their ends to said tongue portion and said rear platformportion, equipment carrying deck means supported on said supportmembers, pivot means pivotally securing said deck means at one end tosaid support means in proximity of said tongue portion with the otherend of said deck means terminating adjacent to said rear platformportion and power operated lift means operatively connected to said deckmeans whereby upon the upward pivotal movement of said other end of saiddeck means to substantially the height of said rear platform portion sothat equipment may be rolled from said rear platform portion directlyonto said deck means and upon the lowering of said deck means, saidequipment is carried by said deck means in a substantially horizontalposition and at a lower level then said platform portion.

2. The structure as recited by claim 1 taken in combination with rampmeans and pivot means securing said ramp means to said platform portionfor rolling said equipment from road level to said platform portion.

1. A low bed trailer for hauling heavy equipment having a tongue portionfor connecting to a tractor, a rear platform portion and a substantiallyhorizontally disposed bed portion mounted between said tongue portionand said rear platform portion, said bed portion being positioned at alower level than said tongue portion and said rear platform portion,said bed portion comprising substantially elongated support memberssecured at their ends to said tongue portion and said rear platformportion, equipment carrying deck means supported on said supportmembers, pivot means pivotally securing said deck means at one end tosaid support means in proximity of said tongue portion with the otherend of said deck means terminating adjacent to said rear platformportion and power operated lift means operatively connected to said deckmeans whereby upon the upward pivotal movement of said other end of saiddeck means to substantially the height of said rear platform portion sothat equipment may be rolled from said rear platform portion directlyonto said deck means and upon the lowering of said deck means, saidequipment is carried by said deck means in a substantially horizontalposition and at a lower level then said platform portion.
 2. Thestructure as recited by claim 1 taken in combination with ramp means andpivot means securing said ramp means to said platform portion forrolling said equipment from road level to said platform portion.